Chief Justice applicants interview to start July 24

Tuesday, July 3, 2012
MANILA (Updated 12:13 p.m.) — Public interviews for those aspiring to become the next Chief Justice will begin a day after President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (Sona), a member of the screening body Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) said Tuesday.
Jose Mejia, who represents the academe in the eight-man JBC, said in a text message that they will hold interviews from July 24 to 27. Aquino will deliver his third Sona on July 23 to coincide with the opening of the last regular session of the 15th Congress.
“We will try to finish the interviews by that week. We have a self-imposed deadline of submitting a shortlist to the President by July 30,” Mejia said.
At the end of the period of application on Monday, 25 people including six incumbent justices of the High Court signified their intention to lead the Judiciary following the ouster of Renato Corona by the Senate impeachment court last May 29 for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for failing to truthfully declare his peso and dollar accounts.
But the initial list of applicants will only be released to the public on Friday because the JBC still has to check if those who have conformed to their nomination passed the minimum requirements set by the Constitution.
Under Article 8 Section 7, a member of the Supreme Court must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, at least 40 years of age, and must have been for 15 years or more a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the country.
A prospective magistrate should also hold the qualities such as competence, integrity, probity and independence.
The JBC will allow cameras and tape recorders in the room where interviews of the candidates are held, as well as live television and radio coverage of the proceedings.
This developed after the body decided last month to delete the prohibitions against the same contained in Section 5 of Rule JBC-10 or the “Rule to Further Promote Public Awareness and Accessibility to the Proceedings of the Judicial and Bar Council.”
Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, representative of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to the JBC, said they have yet to release the guidelines for the live media coverage.
She said photographers can only take shots before the start of the proceeding, while updates through social networking sites Twitter and Facebook are allowed. The accreditation of media personnel will be taken care of by the Supreme Court.
Aquino is required to name the new top magistrate 90 days following the vacancy or until August 27, which falls on the 53rd birthday of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, one of the reported contenders for the post.
As of 4:30 p.m. Monday, the Supreme Court magistrates who have confirmed their nomination at the JBC aside from Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio were Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion, Roberto Abad and Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Among the magistrates who were automatically recommended, only Diosdado Peralta did not confirm his nomination.
The others who have confirmed, as of 3:27 p.m. Monday, were Presidential Commission on Good Government chair Andres Bautista; human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno; Securities and Exchange Commission chair Teresita Herbosa; Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza; former University of the Philippines law dean Raul Pangalangan; former presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos-Pijao; Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez; Comelec commissioner Rene Sarmiento; former UE Dean Amado Valdez; former Ateneo dean Cesar Villanueva; San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora; lawyers Katrina Legarda, Vincent Veloso; Vicente Velasquez, Rafael Morales, Manuel Siayngco, Amelia Tria-Infante and Soledad Cagampang-de Castro.
Twenty-eight nominees, including Peralta, have declined, namely: Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner Kim Henares; Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta; IBP president Roan Libarios; former Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla; Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa; court administrator Jose Midas Marquez; former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.; Sandiganabayan Presiding Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr.; lawyer Simeon Marcelo; former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez; constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas; SC justices Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Jose Perez, Jose Catral-Mendoza, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Bienvenido Reyes; Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Franklin Drilon; Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Andres Reyes and CA Justice Magdangal De Leon; Cebu-based CA Associate Justice Gabriel Ingles; Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz; former Senator Rene Saguisag; former representative Teodoro Locsin Jr.; Dean Rodolfo Robles; Prosecutor Marianito Sasondoncillo and Government Chief Negotiator for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Marvic Leonen. (Virgil Lopez/ECV/Sunnex)

Some of the good resorts in Pampanga offer good alternatives to hotel function rooms for seminars, corporate planning and meetings. More and more, Manila event planners prefer to hold planning sessions and meeting out of town in the north where participants can relax and unwind in outdoor facilities of some of the good resorts outside Manila. This way, the meetings can be much more productive as participants get a chance to enjoy the lake, beach and good picnic spots in a good resort in Clark Pampanga between seminars, planning sessions and meetings. Clearwater Resort is generally recognized by event planners as the best event venue in Clark Pampanga. Clearwater appears frequently on the top of a list of the best hotels in Pampanga. Visitors to Clark and Angeles City Pampanga seldom pass up the opportunity to relax and unwind by the lake of this popular resort in Pampanga.

Families with small children prefer outdoor resort in Manila clean and safe place in Pampanga Clark to bring kids to relax and unwind.

Clearwater Resort and Country Club is well regarded by trip planners and Manila residents as one of the best resorts in Pampanga for family bonding. This is one resort near Manila that enables guests to relax and unwind, away from the stress of living in the city. Clearwater Resort is generally regarded as one of the best holiday spots near Manila.

Travel groups recommend Clearwater Resort for this Holy Week and Easter holidays because this hotel resort in Clark Philippines is a private resort that is near Manila and is highly recommended for families with children to relax and unwind in a safe and secure location. Clearwater Resort is one of the resorts in Pampanga that are highly recommended for visitors coming to Angeles City or Clark Pampanga during Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, New year and especially during the Philippines Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Quiet place for rest and relaxation near Manila, in Subic, Angeles City Pampanga and Clark Philippines is something that residents of Manila travelling to the north for a short getaway are looking for. Today, Clark is no longer just a golfer’s paradise, it appears to tourists and visitors who are not just interested to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga. This resort in Clark Philippines is generally considered by Manila residents to be a good place for family trips in Pampanga.

Top rated tourist spots and places to see and visit in Clark Philippines include Clearwater Beach Resort Clark Pampanga. It is in this private resort in Pampanga that Manila residents travel out of town on a short getaway to savor the American lifestyle of laidback leisure living by the famous lake of Clark Airbase. Clearwater is one of the best hotel in Clark and the resort is a very popular venue for rest and relaxation especially for golfers after a round of golf at one of the best golf courses near Manila. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga.

Pampanga Angeles City and Clark Philippines is a popular choice for event organizers and company event planners because it is safe, secure and conveniently accessible from Manila. The short travel time from Manila to Clark means there is more time for participants to enjoy the programs, relax and unwind in the outdoor facilities of this highly recommended resort hotel in Clark. This is also one of the best resorts in Pampanga that offers good picnic spots near Manila.

Getting to this lake and beach resort in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines

After entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway MA Roxas, passing the stand-along wine shop called Clark Wine Center on the right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, one will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on the right just 200m down.

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also: